Echo Mtn, CO becomes Ski Racing 'Country Club'

[EMSC]

A few details are starting to be published by the Denver Post about Echo Mtn becoming a non-public, ski racers only ski hill.

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_21421750/echo-mountain-ski-area-bought-be-converted-into

I've known about this for a couple weeks but the deal was consummated in the last day or two. Multi-millions dropped by this 'poor' mom who got tired of driving to Vail all the time. This will be for the very few and the uber-rich at best in the ski racing world. $35K initiation fee to join and then many thousands of $ of annual coaching fees each year on top of that is what is being circulated around the ski racing world. Interestingly Eldora (EMSC) does some limited night training and now all the front range kids from Vail, Winter park, Summit, etc.. are looking at shifting to Eldora from Echo where they had been going.

I can't imagine more than a handful of kids will ever be able to afford the new Echo; it seems 'mom' just bought herself a literal private ski area for her own kids. Given that Copper has a US Team early season speed track and Vail Ski Club just put in massive infrastructure on Gold Peak just for racers, I struggle to find much of a niche for Echo - Super Rich that don't want to ski at Vail? If Echo were in a region with lots of racing demand but very few options with dedicated terrain it would make a lot more sense, but in the central mtns of Colo? I guess I didn't realize the terrain for racers was so limited here?

[Admin]

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/2012/0 ... -facility/

[mwskier]

"The ski area’s conversion means that the public will no longer have access to Echo Mountain’s slopes."

Disappointing.

[Killclimbz]

That place sucked any way. If she wants to make it a private ski club, then whatever. I doubt they will have a taste for keeping it operational for more than two-three seasons. Then it'll just become another lost ski area.

[EMSC]

A few more details are starting to come out based on the Front Range ski club website http://frontrangeskiclub.com/

The initiation fees are generally $5K to $35K depending on how you want to define your ski racing age/desire, etc... So if you have a "U10" (aka 8 or 9 year old) who wants to try out racing with them for weeknight training you get a $5K fee to have the right to then pay the annual coaching fees. If you are a high level racer in your teens or post grad you get the $35K fee to have the right to pay more in fees.

The biggest potential benefit I see so far is they are offering to open by Nov 1 and sell lane space to ski clubs (SL sized only though). At $500 for 2 hour time slots per 15 kids it's not exactly cheap either though... But perhaps at least closer in line to Loveland, Copper, etc... lane space prices than their season long programs.

I doubt they will have a taste for keeping it operational for more than two-three seasons.

This outcome would not surprise me all that much. But then again she may keep it open for as long as her kids are racers... given how much she has already invested. It would take a lot of work 3 years from now to re-build the current market of >60K skier days they had last year (which was helped a lot by horrible central mtn snowpack and decent upslope/front range snow. It's actually why the previous owner decided to sell now; at the top of their market niche numbers)

[TRam]

They plan on nearly doubling the lift served vert? why was this not done by previous owner. Considering the terrian available, the ski scene on the front range is just so bad! this coming from someone who lived in Fort Collins for 11 years.

[EMSC]

They plan on nearly doubling the lift served vert? why was this not done by previous owner.

2 reasons: Money and Snowfall

Previous owner sunk over $5M into the place to get it to what is already is.... and the official snowfall is reported as 215" which will be taken at the highest point available for Echo (and even then might be slightly inflated). As you know from living in Ft Collins, for all but upslope storms, the snowfall drops off very rapidly by distance and elevation from the divide... Thus by the time you go the extra ~840 verts down the hill the snowfall at Echo is probably 100" or less on average. Not to mention the warmer temperatures melting things out too. Not exactly conducive to a ski resort. Lots of snowmaking required which is expensive (plus water rights cost), more grooming required, longer lifts required, etc... a whole series of things requiring big $ from a barely sustainable operation as it is.

[TRam]

My bad, didn't realize the extra vert was down the mountain. I've never skied there.
I still wish that the City of Fort Collins could but a ski hill up in pingree park or something. Hwy 14 would have to be expanded to 2 lanes etc but I think it could work given the growth there.